Ahern rebuffs aid agencies over decentralisation plea

FOREIGN Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern last night delivered a stinging rebuke to aid agencies and opposition parties who want him to reverse plans to decentralise the Government’s foreign aid section.

Under the Government’s decentralisation programme, Development Co-operation Ireland (DCI) is scheduled to be relocated to Limerick at the beginning of 2007.

However, with just 13 of the agency’s 123 staff in favour of the move, 35 aid agencies yesterday wrote to Mr Ahern asking him to reverse the decision.